Last week the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America installed Rev. Guy Erwin as Bishop of the Southwest California Synod. Rev. Erwin is the first practicing homosexual to be a bishop in the ELCA. The ELCA's Living Lutheran website reported that there were at least 10 ELCA bishops in attendance. (see here) Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson, the highest ranking ELCA leader, delivered the sermon at the installation. Bishop Hanson's sermon made it clear that there is no more debate in the denomination about whether homosexuality is sinful or godly. He then proclaimed the ELCA's repentance for once holding the Biblical position that homosexuality is sinful. Below are some quotes and my thoughts from the ELCA leader's sermon.

In the opening moments Bishop Hanson expressed his overwhelming gratitude to those that were there saying, “on behalf of this whole church, I want to say a deep and heartfelt thank you to everyone here and everyone watching the live stream and those that have gone on to glory that have worked so tirelessly, fervently, prayerfully, prophetically, educationally, so that we could come to this day as a church, when Rev. Dr. Guy Erwin, in the presence of his husband Rob, could be installed in the office of bishop in Christ's church. Thank you.” (see video below)Translation: Homosexuality is good, it is from God, thank you for your role in unsinning homosexuality in our denomination. We are so happy to encourage it and have church leaders who practice it. Moments later Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson said, “There is weeping for joy this day, because for too long many of you have wept tears of bitterness from the experience of being rebuked. Rebuked for believing that God could call you to the ministry of word and sacrament and to the vocation of marriage with your beloved Rob.”Translation: People who believe and speak the truth about the Biblical position on same gender sex are evil “rebukers.” ...And all you wanted was to have sinful deviant sex and be a leader in the church. Then Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson said,

“Rev. Erwin, in your call to serve the gospel in the office of bishop, we as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America are saying again and saying publicly and forthrightly, such rebuking shall not be what we as a church will be saying quite openly any longer.” Translation: The ELCA is for homosexual sex and you will never hear the denomination preach contrary to that. Let that be a warning to any ELCA leader who thinks otherwise. He then proclaimed, “But let our public resounding 'no' to such shaming and bullying and rebuking also become our public repentance. Our being turned from that dead end path of rebuking to live differently, speak differently, openly preserving the dignity of all. May our public repentance be both an act of confession and an act of reconciliation with all that who have been rebuked.” (the ELCA confessed to this invented sin before – see here)Translation: We, the ELCA repent of our sin. We repent for once holding the Biblical position that homosexuality is wrong/sinful. We will no longer say that. We are sorry for those church fathers before us who spoke the truth in love to you. They sinned, we sinned and anyone who still holds that position has sinned because of it. Remember, this is what the ELCA said in their 2009 Social Statement - Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust, “faithful people can and will come to different conclusions about the meaning of Scripture and about what constitutes responsible action. We further believe that this church, on the basis of 'the bound conscience,' will include these different understandings and practices within its life as it seeks to live out its mission and ministry in the world.” (see here) How does that jibe with what the ELCA's leader is now saying? Presiding Bishop Hanson's sermon makes it clear, if it wasn't already, that the Biblical position on homosexuality will not be allowed, respected or tolerated anymore. It is full speed ahead and every ELCA entity will be (has been) pushing, justifying and indoctrinating its membership into their worldly view on homosexuality.

Well, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that the new Presiding Bishop Eaton wants to accommodate the ELCA's more orthodox believers. I take that as a position of "damage control mode", to keep more of their offering income from walking out the door. While the official position of the church is anything but orthodox, sadly many dissenters stay. Some may be clergy who hold out hopes that God will turn people's hearts back to Him through their words and deeds; doubtless many are seniors who are either homebound, uninformed or far from more orthodox Lutheran congregations. Others may be people who don't want to cause a split between friends or families in ELCA congregations together. But Jesus did say He came to bring division, the parent against the child, brother against sister, for the sake of His true Gospel.

Outgoing Bishop Hanson spoke of things working prophetically. This is true. The New Testament Apostles prophesied that many would depart from the faith in the ages yet to come. He spoke of those called to Glory, yet his church is fast friends with Marcus Borg, who denies Jesus' Resurrection. The Apostle Paul himself stated that nobody can be saved without believing Jesus is bodily, gloriously risen from the dead. Bishop Hanson also spoke of serving the gospel. Whose gospel, the Gospel of Christ, or the gospel of social justice and salvation without Jesus, a false gospel from the father of lies? And he spoke of "Christ's church". In Matthew 7:21 Jesus instructs us that only those who do the will of the Father shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven. John 6:40 shows Jesus instructing that the Father's will is that people would see the Son, believe in Him and have everlasting life. Is a church which has teachers who deny the exclusivity of faith in Jesus as the only Way of salvation doingl the Father's will? In Luke 7:22, Jesus says "Many will say to Me in that day, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your Name?" Bishop Hanson's big about "working prophetically". Pray that Bishops Hanson and Eaton read Luke 7:23, in which Jesus says that "I never knew you: depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" Jesus is preaching the Law, folks, to point out your sins, in this very passage, to drive you to repentance. Jesus' Gospel can forgive you, ELCA leaders. Return to the Lord Your God into Whose Name you have been baptized!

The article also mentioned that some ELCA congregations did not want to call people of other races to the pastoral office. Perhaps it would have served the ELCA better to have worked against the stubborn old sin of racism, rather than for the sins of immoral sexual behaviors and the further sin of elective abortion of the "least of these" whose lives are extinguished after being conceived by sexual sin.
One of our Chicago LCMS churches went through the racial change of the 50's and 60's with most members being tolerant in kindness, and now is a growing multi-racial congregation that has just repaired their long-silent organ. Their pastor processed with their pastor emeritus from the 60's to the sound of that organ, while black, white, Asian and Hispanic people sang praise to the Lord. The name of the church is 1st Immanuel Lutheran in Chicago.

Let the decree go forth from Gomorrah on Higgins Road: "No more 'tolerance' from the Ear-tickling Lutheran Church in America. Whoever believed our 2009 convention's 'bound conscience' agitprop is a credulous bumpkin. It's bare-knuckled 'persuasion' from now on, peons. Get your minds right, and let's start using those Bibles for what they're intended: as doorstops and oversized paperweights. You want denominationally approved reading material? Crack open Lavender Magazine. Oh, and don't forget to reserve a spot at the National Coming Out Day Luncheon next week. The Jesus-spurning, Bible-ridiculing world is expecting us to show up. Wouldn't want to disappoint our biggest fans."

And thus the reason I left the ELCA after 49 years. It is a coven that supports and encourages sexual deviancy and is managed by apostates.

Reply

Michael

10/2/2013 12:49:36 am

Come out of her. Shake the dust off your feet. This it not the church of Jesus Christ. Christ said to pick up His cross, He said his yoke is easy. These men do not have anything in common with our Saviour. They are apostate, sodomites.

Where is the sadness when people such as this shake their fist at God and go their own way? Rejoice that the Lord has not given us over to evil temptation and is with us!

They have made their choice, God will judge them for it. We all get to know in the end. good riddance, and amen.

Reply

Chuck Braun

10/2/2013 02:25:06 am

I watched the video. The Gospel reading of Mark 8:38 was "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation , of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the Glory of His Father with the holy angels." Add to that verse 34: "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."

The ELCA's false gospel of universalism is clear evidence of being ashamed of Jesus and His Gospel. Failing to spread the true Gospel which brings the Bread of eternal life, replacing it with the social "gospel", which is actually Law, of merely bringing bread for this earthly life. And it's shameful for these people to tell people not to deny themselves and despise their sin, but exalt themselves and feel good about their sin.

Bishop Hanson read the Word of God that actually condemns the leaders of his church, including himself. The Law is reflected back to him, crystal clear. What great spiritual blindness there must be in this man, preventing him from repentance and Gospel forgiveness!

Reply

Scott

10/2/2013 08:36:33 am

Speaking of bringing bread for this earthly life, click "ELCA World Hunger" in the right-hand margin of this blog.

Reply

PastorMann

10/3/2013 01:44:26 am

so very well put, may I use your words?

Reply

John Klingler

10/3/2013 12:41:28 am

With this declaration it is now those who don't agree with homosexual lifestyle who are sinners. That's what happens when right and wrong, and Bible interpretation is left to the conscience.

Reply

Chuck Braun

10/3/2013 07:13:32 am

One of the Supreme Court Justices has declared, "If you don't support same-sex marriage, then you hate the human race!" Um, just exactly how did the human race come to be? Last time I checked, wasn't it from a man and a woman?

I read Presiding Bishop Eaton's words about the ELCA she is about to take the helm of. Apparently, she believes that if people don't agree to the ELCA position on same-sex relationships, then they not only disagree, but they think the ELCA's taking sides with Satan. Well, we're all on Satan's side when we're born. Jesus came to die for us and rise again to save us from all our sins, be they homosexuality, adultery, stealing, war, violence, pride, arrogance or Pharisaic self-righteousness. But a sin that what was meant to be absolved after confessed has now been resolved to be blessed by the ELCA. Which is more important, eternal salvation or sex?

I'm wondering if we might see an Episcopal-Lutheran Church in America in the near future. Luther and Cramner would not be amused

Reply

Richard Roy

10/25/2013 12:07:34 am

I guess the leadership of the elca has had most of the Bible redacted to fit their lifestyle. I would only ask them, what about Sodom and Gomorrah? When the Lutheran bodies were combined to form the elca, we called it the DELCA, Dead elca. We left that body then and don't understand how anyone that is a Bible believer can stay in that body and financially support their lies!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.

Leave a Reply.

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 1 Thessalonians 5:21

Dan Skogen

Former ELCA seminary student and former ELCA member who is fed up with the ELCA's consistent mockery of God's Word.